The email ISU President Al Bowman sent announcing his choice to retire at approximately 10 a.m. Monday morning surprised many students on campus.

Student Body President Andy Manno said he was first saddened to hear Bowman was leaving ISU.

“My sadness quickly turned into gratefulness for his leadership and the time he served as president,” Manno said. “Bowman has had a good effect on ISU’s campus. He was very open and caring.”

While no replacement for President Bowman has been chosen, Student Government Association hopes he or she follows in similar footsteps with shared governance.

“I hope students can still maintain their voice and be reflected in the University’s actions,” he explained. “After shaking hands with different students everyday, there isn’t a face Bowman doesn’t remember. Students will miss him dearly.”

Manno said he also hopes the new president will always extend a helping hand, the one Bowman always had out when students were in need.

“Bowman will certainly be remembered as one of the best presidents at ISU,” he said.

ISU senior David Douglas, media management, promotion and sales major, said he likes what Bowman has done with the campus.

“He’s been a really good president and I was kind of shocked when I saw it on Twitter … It was kind of sad because I graduate in December,” he said. “I talked to a lot of other people and they said it might be a big change after he leaves.”

On the other hand, other students viewed Bowman’s decision to step down as a responsible one, especially considering the current, thriving state of ISU.

“I first thought it was a good thing because he’s retiring when the school is on the rise,” Brandon Belt, senior finance major, said. “[My friends and I] were just talking about how the College of Business was ranked by the Princeton Review … and we are getting a new football stadium, so I think it’s good he’s retiring on the rise.”

Despite his decision, students both new and old appear to understand the impact of Bowman’s absence and expressed appreciation for everything he has accomplished during his nine-year tenure.

“He did a lot for our four years; we’re seniors and it’s kind of sad to see him leave, but at the same time he’s done a lot for our school,” Ian Schlueter, senior finance major, said. “All of our friends were talking. You couldn’t find a president at another university people would be too upset with leaving but definitely everyone’s been talking about Al Bowman all day.”

Other students such as Kevin Price, freshman criminal justice major, and Mary Beth D’Andrea, freshman elementary education major, thought he was going to stay with ISU for a while.

“I hope the next guy is as good as he is,” D’Andrea said.